What’s New: As part of Buick’s brand overhaul, the Verano is the carmaker’s third new vehicle in as many years. It occupies the somewhat obscure luxury compact sedan segment. It’s based on the General’s Delta II architecture, the same underpinnings as the Chevy Cruze. (More on this later.) The Verano is not, however, simply a restyled version of a Chevy. For one, the Buick packs more power under the hood. Where the Cruze comes with 138 hp, the Verano sports 180 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque from a 2.4-liter four cylinder and six-speed automatic transmission. Plus, the Verano will be available with a 2.0-liter turbo motor and six-speed manual gearbox next year.

In keeping with Buick’s obsession with noise (or, rather, the lack thereof), the Verano gets the full sound-reduction treatment. Every nook and cranny is stuffed and layered with some kind of sound absorber, and Buick is particularly proud of its liquid applied sound deadener, which can be sprayed directly onto the body at key locations throughout the vehicle. The windshield and front side windows are equipped with acoustic lamination, and to prevent noise in the back, the rear side windows are 5.4 mm thick rather than the standard 4 mm. Buick estimates that these features add only an extra 10 to 15 pounds. Not bad given the excellent results.